Asian Book Club

We're introduced to Joelle and Max, whose dynamic shifts fairly quickly in our initial read. Look out for the splash of spiciness in chapter 3! Sarah Echavarre Smith writes steamy romcom novels, making the world a nicer place "one kissing story at a time." Her love for romance started as a young girl when she found her aunt's romance collection. You can learn more about her work...

Revelations emerge, and broken relationships crumble. All the messiness gets even more messy when the story comes to a close. If you haven't been disoriented yet, you absolutely will now. Elaine Hsieh Chou is "a Taiwanese American writer from California." She's also a writing and workshop instructor, a former Rona Jaffe Graduate Fellow at NYU, a NYFA Artist fellow, and the 2023 F...

In this fourth read, we find Vivian basking in the limelight while Ingrid tries to take down the DOFO cult in whatever undercover way she can. And in the midst of all this chaos, Ingrid and Stephen's relationship continues to crumble to pieces. Elaine Hsieh Chou is "a Taiwanese American writer from California." She's also a writing and workshop instructor, a former Rona Jaffe Gra...

In the third read of book club pick #7, we're in for some chaos. The brand of chaos we're all too familiar with in the United States of America. Get ready for unleashed fires, so-called "good ol' American freedom", and disintegrating relationships. Elaine Hsieh Chou is "a Taiwanese American writer from California." She's also a writing and workshop instructor, a...

[Content warning: brief mention of sexual encounter] In this second read, we witness Ingrid Yang's "racial awakening" and the multiple microaggressions she's faced throughout her lifetime. This one's a doozy. Listen (and read) with care. Elaine Hsieh Chou is "a Taiwanese American writer from California." She's also a writing and workshop instructor, a former Ron...

Our first read of book club pick #7 and we're already disoriented! In this section, we learn about the various traits that make up our main character, PhD candidate Ingrid Yang. What we find is an easily malleable woman who's governed by her circumstances . . . until she finds a curious note in the archives. Elaine Hsieh Chou is "a Taiwanese American writer from California." She&...

[Content warning: sexual abuse, child abuse, drug abuse] We've come to the final read of book club #6. In this read, we encounter new characters who're integral to the overall plot. As the story comes to a close, the author shows us just how intertwined the protagonist's and antagonist's stories truly are. Oof, what a ride! Melissa Chadburn is a distinguished writer, whose work has...

[Content Warning: sexual abuse, child abuse, rape] In this third read of Book Club Pick #6, we see the two worlds of Marina's birth family and and her chosen family in The Pines influence her while she's in the government group foster home. We're also taken through Marina's first love Alex's heartbreaking origin story. As you continue to read along with us, please take care. Me...

[Content Warning: sexual violence] In this second read of Book Club Pick #6, we are taken deep into the past to see a closer look at Mutya's character and the imbalanced mother-daughter relationship she has with Marina. We are also shown the inciting incident that led Marina away from her strong-willed, independent self toward the placid, survival-focused person she became. Like in the first r...

[Content Warning: NSFW, violence, death, gore, sexual abuse, physical intimacy] We start the first read of Book Club Pick #6! And the book was not what we were expecting. Despite the NSFW nature of the story, the mythical lore of the aswang mixed in with layers and generations of tragedy and interconnected story weaves an intriguing tale that traps our attention. Proceed with caution. Melissa Chad...

After reading Min Jin Lee's Pachinko, we - Jamae and Steven - watch the AppleTV+ series. In this special episode, we talk about the cinematic qualities of the show, the strong cast, and the easter eggs we find as the story unfolds. The show also breaks up the timeline while keeping the "feel" of the book's tone. This is both our first times watching the series, and the show kept...

[Content Warning: NSFW / physical intimacy] In this final read of book club pick #5, full circle moments and fulfilled predictions close the story. As part of our final thoughts, we highly recommend reading Min Jin Lee's Pachinko! Min Jin Lee is a distinguished writer and the author of Pachinko and Free Food for Millionaires . She is a National Book Award Finalist and the recipient of 2022 Man...

[Content Warning: physical intimacy, death, suicide] In this fourth read of book club pick #5, we see the characters go through love, loss, grief, and discovery - a wild ride of highs and lows. As we go through this section, please take care, friends. As we mention at the top of the episode, if you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal ideation, please reach out for help. Consider the follo...

We're past the halfway point of the book at this point. During this third read of book club pick #5, our predictions have been dashed . . . for the most part. We learn about characters returning, characters leaving, and the war's aftermath. If you're like Jamae, you probably said the F* Word many times "verbally out loud" throughout this particular section. Min Jin Lee is a d...

[Content warning: physical intimacy] In this second read of book club pick #5, we see the characters struggle with culture shock, patriarchal society, misogyny, and unfair allegations. We follow Sunja, Isak, Yoseb, and Kyunghee through their individual hardships while they communally raise Noa and Mozasu. Min Jin Lee is a distinguished writer and the author of Pachinko and Free Food for Millionair...

[Content Warning: sexual harassment and child abuse] During this first read of book club pick #5, we're set in an annexed Korea where we meet Sunja and her family. Through smooth pacing, a looping plot that reliably answers readers' questions, and well-formed characters, we are guided through Sunja's background, her well-supported childhood, and her entrance into adulthood. Min Jin Lee...

Last time, we shared three hints for our next read. Our next book club pick is . . . you know we need a drumroll . . . Pachinko by Min Jin Lee! We talk about first impressions, what we're expecting, and how we're going to tackle this highly acclaimed novel. Min Jin Lee is a distinguished writer and the author of Pachinko and Free Food for Millionaires . She is a National Book Award Finalis...

Did you eat yet? This is how our immigrant families show they care for and love us. In this new segment, we share the foods and specific meal times we'd pair with the books we've read so far - Malaka Gharib's I Was Their American Dream, Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere, Berna Anat's Money Out Loud, Su Hwang's Bodega, and Annie Choi's Happy Birthday or Whatever. Sinc...

In this final read of Annie Choi's Happy Birthday or Whatever, we share our karaoke go-to's, road trip shenanigans, the pressure to birth grandchildren for our elders (eep!), and the unspoken rules of navigating family gatherings. Get ready for this fun episode. It'll make you miss your family and remind you why you need to mentally prepare before you spend any time with them. Annie Ch...

After reading the second set of five essays in Annie Choi's Happy Birthday or Whatever , we talk periods, religion in social situations, ailments, vegetarian origin stories (and world-destroying nightmares - kidding, not kidding), and oppressive family members. Buckle up, para-social friends, we're diving deep into Annie's stories as well as our own. Annie Choi was raised in the San Fe...

After reading through the first five chapters of Annie Choi's memoir Happy Birthday or Whatever , we share a summary of these essays and talk about what comes up for us in each. We found several aspects of these stories relateable, tricky (read: triggering), and resonant. Annie Choi was raised in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. She is the author of Happy Birthday or Whateve...

In the last episode, we offered three hints on our our next book club pick. The author is a vegetarian who worked as a textbook editor when she started taking a class in memoir writing. The book is a memoir conveyed through a collection of essays. The read is both a celebration and conflict all at once. So without further ado, Asian Book Club's fourth pick is . . . cue fervent drum rolling . ....

After reading through the entire poetry collection, we quote three pieces that resonated with each of us and talk about the themes we see tying the pieces together. Although specific historical contexts are not the main focus, we notice how they influence the everyday situations in the speaker's life. As a quick side note, we refer to Bodega as a chapbook. However, Su Hwang shared with us that...

In a previous episode, we dropped three hints for our next read. So, without further ado, Asian Book Club's third pick is . . . cue in the drum roll . . . Su Hwang's Bodega! In this episode, we read the book's description and share how we're each going to approach interpreting the work in this poetry chapbook. Su Hwang is a writer and activist who comes from a family with a literar...

On April 25, 2023, Berna Anat's debut finance book Money Out Loud said hello to the world! In this special episode, we talk about the parts of the book that resonated with us, what we're looking forward to implementing in our personal lives, and who we'd recommend this book to. You can get your hands on MOL by: Checking it out at your local library or requesting they acquire a copy if...